On Balance by Leila Seth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I told my Mum that anyone who does not read this book would be a fool of first waters, her first question was,

"How is it even possible for a biography to be that good?"

Yes, more often, it is not possible for a biography to be that good. In fact, I am not a fan of the genre at all but maybe, there is something about the Seths that makes them the best biographers/memoir-writers in the world. Maybe they are just born that way!

Ok! Enough gushing-over the Seth family. Coming to the book and why you should read it
a) If you want to know how to be successful, read 'On Balance.'
b) If you want to know more about post-Independent India, read 'On Balance.'
c) To know how to have a successful family life, read 'On Balance.'
d)To know how to raise children, read 'On Balance.'

Above all, if you want to know how to write the story of your life so that it can teach others something new, something different, read 'On Balance.'


In other words, read it anyway. You'd be missing on something if you don't!

Leila Seth proves that she is the mother of Vikram Seth, in every sense of the word. She has the his poetic ease and his brilliance or rather, he has hers.

With her exceptionally brilliant autobiography, she shows that it doesn't take a miracle to be a successful career-woman along with being a successful homemaker. She is both a feminist and a supporter of family life. She makes it clear that you can be a feminist without being a male-basher, without hating men or patriarchy, that it's all about equality and balance.

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